Fully Bio-Based Hybrid Composites Made of Wood, Fungal Mycelium and Cellulose Nanofibrils
Sun, W.; Tajvidi, M.; Hunt, C. G.; McIntyre, G.; Gardner, D. J.
What is it about?
Hot-pressed panels of softwood particles, fungal mycelium and cellulose nanofibrils (CNF). Two systems were compared: wood plus pure mycelium mixed physically (group 1) versus mycelium grown on the wood (group 2), each with 0–10 % CNF. Mycelium grown on the wood clearly reduced water absorption and thickness swelling; 2.5 % CNF already met MOR/MOE of ANSI A208.1 grade LD-1.
Experiments from this publication (3)
| Experiment | Fungus | Substrate mix | Density [kg/m³] | Measurements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood + pure mycelium + 2.5 % CNF (90W7.5M2.5) | White-rot fungus (basidiomycete), undisclosed | 90 % SPF particleboard particles (spruce/pine/fir) · 1.4–3.5 mm · Ecovative Design LLC, Green Island, NY (US) 7.5 % Pure mycelium tissue (aerially grown, dried) · Ecovative Design LLC, Green Island, NY (US) 2.5 % Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) · 3 wt% suspension, fines content > 90 % (< 200 µm) · University of Maine, Process Development Center (US) |
600 | 1 |
| Wood + pure mycelium + 7.5 % CNF (90W2.5M7.5) | White-rot fungus (basidiomycete), undisclosed | 90 % SPF particleboard particles (spruce/pine/fir) · 1.4–3.5 mm · Ecovative Design LLC, Green Island, NY (US) 7.5 % Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) · 3 wt% suspension, fines content > 90 % (< 200 µm) · University of Maine, Process Development Center (US) 2.5 % Pure mycelium tissue (aerially grown, dried) · Ecovative Design LLC, Green Island, NY (US) |
600 | 1 |
| Wood–mycelium particles without CNF (100WM) | White-rot fungus (basidiomycete), undisclosed | 100 % SPF particleboard particles (spruce/pine/fir) · 1.4–3.5 mm · Ecovative Design LLC, Green Island, NY (US) | 600 | 3 |
Notes on data extraction
Most results (MOR, MOE, water absorption per CNF content and density) are shown only in charts and were not taken. Taken: values from the main text. Further text values: TGA onset wood 243.8 °C, pure mycelium 207.9 °C, CNF 257.2 °C (Table 3); mycelium share of wood–mycelium particles < 10 %; without CNF both systems were too weak for internal bond testing; group 1 without CNF fell apart in water.